This invention relates to an assembly of corrugated sheets of a particular structure and, more particularly, to an assembly which may be adapted primarily for use as heat transfer media or contact bodies, fill for gas scrubbers for reducing air pollution, media for trickling filters used in water and waste water treatment, media for use in air scrubbing or stripping equipment, and other surface media, although other uses are also contemplated for the assemblies, such as modular artificial reef systems for marine environments.
When the corrugated sheets forming the assembly are oriented in a generally vertical direction, the assembly of the present invention may be used as wet deck fill for evaporative-heat exchange apparatus. Such wet deck fill may, for example, be used in a cooling tower for air conditioning or other industrial processes. In many prior art evaporative-type heat exchangers, water is distributed over the top of wet deck fill formed of contact bodies. Generally, such contact bodies are in the form of corrugated sheet material. As the water flows over and down the fill, a thin film of water is formed over the surface of the fill. A gas stream, typically air, passes over the water film on the fill to provide an evaporative cooling effect. Air flow may be promoted by the use of a centrifugal blower or fan from top to bottom (parallel flow), transversely across the path of the water (crosscurrent) or in a direction opposite to the flow of the water, namely bottom to top (countercurrent). The structure of the present assembly provides increased surface area over typical prior art contact bodies, which facilitates heat transfer. In addition, the present assembly provides increased structural integrity over many prior art contact bodies.
The present invention is also useful as a modular artificial reef. An assembly formed from corrugated sheets of the present invention may be oriented as desired with respect to the floor of a body of water, such as a marine environment. For example, the assembly may be oriented in a generally horizontal or vertical direction. The sheets of the assembly may be formed from polyvinyl chloride, which attracts microbes required to establish a food-chain foundation for higher forms of marine life. Numerous chambers and openings within the assembly are advantageous in attracting fish. Studies have shown that fish tend to avoid large chambers or caverns, and chambers having only one opening. The increased surface area of the sheets of the present assembly provide a large surface area for shelter and forage. In addition, the numerous chambers and intricate passageways formed within the assembly of the present invention provide a natural attraction for fish and other marine life.
The prior art discloses many different contact bodies assembled from contact sheets having corrugations of varying types, shapes and configurations. For example, there is disclosed in the prior art a contact body having longitudinal and transverse corrugations. A plurality of sigmoidal ribs are disposed transversely of the sheet for spacing individual sheets. Small cup-like indentations are provided in the internal angle of each sigmoidal rib for accommodation within smaller indentations in the trough of the closest longitudinal corrugation to reduce or prevent movement of the individual elements in the assembly. The cups may be filled with adhesive for bonding the sheets together.
The prior art also discloses fill sheets for gas and liquid contact apparatus composed of alternating regions which have a curvilinear and angular profile, respectively. The regions are interconnected by intermediate regions which connect the curvilinear and angular profile regions. The sheet has at intervals along the crests of its corrugations spacer devices formed by flat portions and bosses for spacing and affixing adjacent sheets.
There is also disclosed in the prior art a crosscurrent gas and liquid contact body made of corrugated sheets. Each adjacent sheet has oppositely angled oblique major corrugations. The folds or ridges may have a configuration such as that of a gentle sinus line. Slots near the vertical edges reduce surface tension. The sheets may be held together by spacing ribbons bonded to the sheets.
In the prior art there is also disclosed contact body sheets having hollows and protuberances each in the shape of a frustum of a pyramid or a cone.
The prior art also discloses a corrugated metal sheet contact body for humidifiers. Each of the major corrugations of the contact body appears to have a plurality of minor, generally transversely oriented ridges or flutings along the length of the corrugation. There is also disclosed in the prior art a contact body of a similar configuration, except that a number of apertures are found throughout each sheet to help deflect descending liquid around the apertures for more uniform distribution of liquid over the surfaces of the sheets.
There is disclosed in the prior art a gas and liquid contact body comprising a plurality of parallel and generally vertical corrugated contact sheets. The corrugations form alternating apices in the sheets. Corrugations are disposed at an angle to the horizontal. The corrugations are substantially parallel and adjacent sheets are oriented such that the corrugations of one sheet cross the corrugations of an adjacent sheet at intersections of the apices. Recessed positioner pads are positioned in apices of the corrugations of the sheets such that at least about 80% of the intersections of adjacent sheets contain abutting pairs of the recessed positioner pads. While the recessed positioner pads facilitate alignment of the individual sheets within the contact body and may increase structural rigidity, the use of such pads reduces the space between adjacent sheets, thereby reducing the air flow between the sheets.
The prior art also discloses a gas and liquid contact body having a plurality of parallel and generally vertical corrugated contact sheets, similar to the contact body discussed immediately above. However, instead of recessed positioner pads, the contact body includes positioner pads formed at the intersection of apices of the corrugations of adjacent sheets. Each positioner pad includes a pair of raised bars generally transverse to the corrugations. The distance between the bars of each pair corresponds to the generally transverse dimension of an abutting positioner pad of an adjacent sheet. In addition, the top and bottom portions of each corrugation are angled with respect to the major portion of the corrugations. Each of the top and bottom portions of the corrugations has an axis which is perpendicular to the horizontal. The perpendicular top and bottom portions provide a more even stacking height than typical prior art contact bodies and increased structural rigidity.
However, it is desirable to have an easily aligned assembly of sheets as provided by the present invention of excellent structural integrity with increased air flow and liquid flow areas over typical prior art sheet assemblies.